Once there was a time
by Misaki-Yo
Summary: The story of a young man with blonde hair... and his last few hours.


There was once a time where I might have been able to live peacefully. I might have had a long and prosperous life and after watching my kids get married and have their own children. I believed I might have died peacefully at an old age. But it's too late now; the Kyuubi has begun to attack Konoha. Some of my best friends have already died to protect the village from its rampage. I feel helpless. The only solution that would stand a chance of leading to victory involves more death. My death.

Life sometimes sucks like that.

A loud thud echoed off the walls in the Hokage's office. The 3rd was sitting back in his desk chair, his brow furrowed with worry. His fingers were folded in an attempt to appear collected. It wasn't working.

"It's the _only_ way!" The young man yelled at his elder, his anger not yet ventilated by the attack his fist had made on the desk just moments before. His hair was bright yellow and standing on end; his eyes were deep blue with sorrow for his friends and fellow ninjas who had died at the attack on Konoha. He was frustrated with himself for not being able to protect them. The blue eyes hardly noticed the blood he had lost from the open wounds on his right arm and torso. The same right arm appeared to be useless; it was an extraordinarily pale color as it dangled stiffly at his side. Make-shift bandages stained red covered his arm from the wrist to the elbow.

"I suppose that nothing I say will deter your decision then?" As the Third grumbled he puffed smoke from his pipe hanging at the corner of his mouth. The young man stiffened to reassure himself.

"No."

There was a breeze blowing through Konohagure. The streets were well-lit and the markets were full of goods to sell. It would have been nice to see, except that there was not a soul left on the streets. It was as if Konoha had become a ghost town in a matter of minutes. All the citizens and genins had been sent to the underground shelters under immediate orders.

The only sound in the streets resonated from the young man's quick footsteps. A forehead protector indicating his status as a Konoha ninja was in his left hand. He had been trying to tie it onto his neck with his good arm. He was unsuccessful. The shinobi did not slow his pace, even when he nearly tripped over the stray baskets and barrels that had been left behind in the marketplace. The reminder of the lack of people merely influenced him to quicken his pace. The sound of his footsteps ceased as he came to his destination. He waited for a moment before raising his left hand to knock on the wooden surface of the doorway.

"Is that you?" The door muffled the voice coming from within.

"Yes." The blonde answered.

The other side remained silent.

"The enemy wouldn't come knocking at your door, would they?"

There was a sigh. "I guess not." A click sounded as the door was unlocked. A young woman's face emerged from the darkness of the house. Her green eyes dramatically contrasted with her amber hair. She was shorter than he was. An Anbu mask hung from her hand.

"So it is you." She smiled. She was comforted to see his face. "Are you coming in?" She gestured to the inside of the apartment. He ignored the invitation.

"I'm leaving to go to the front again right now."

"Oh." The smile faded; her face fell. "B-Be careful, alright? Will you promise you'll come back alive?" She took his right arm in her hands after looking over the wounds already inflicted on his body. Her fingers glowed with a blue light as his skin regained its natural color.

"I can't promise anything." The woman blinked quickly to try to hide her tears as she removed the bloody bandages from his arm. He took his hand back with a silent thank you.

"If I have to give my life to keep this village safe, I'm going to do it." His face was set. She could tell no one was capable of changing his mind. Why did he _always_ have to be so stubborn?

"Are you leaving me all alone?"

He smiled tenderly at her. "I love you… but I can't be selfish if it's going to endanger the rest of the village. Besides…" He reached forward and gently placed his renewed right hand on her stomach. She looked up at him in surprise. "…you won't be alone." He laughed as she gave him a bewildered look. "You weren't going to tell me were you? The nurses at the hospital are very bad at keeping secrets."

Her gaze fell again. Instead of laughing with him, she sighed pathetically. "It will be the same as being alone. If you don't come back, it'll just remind me of how you aren't with me."

His face darkened. "You should probably go to the shelters now. Make sure you keep that baby safe." Her green eyes widened as sudden realization flooded over her. He wasn't going to come back. She was sure of it. She grabbed his arm as he began to walk away and took the forehead protector from his grasp.

"I'm coming too." She pulled him closer to her and tied the headband around his neck. He liked wearing it that way. He seized her hands as she finished tying and angrily glared at her. "_No_."

"But-" she sputtered.

"_No!_ Stay away from the fight." His pupils shrank with each word. "Stay away from danger. Stay away from _me_!" The blonde dropped her hands and turned away from her. She opened her mouth to speak, to keep his attention on her, to divert him from his destination, to maybe change his mind, but he had already disappeared in a yellow flash of light…

The Kyuubi's growl could be heard from 5 miles away. Standing extremely close makes the noise almost unbearable. But Konoha's ninja wouldn't let something as simple as a din stop them.

Half a dozen ninja were completing a barrier technique to restrain the Kyuubi from advancing even further when a tail swept past them. Three shinobis flew half a mile into the air before crashing into the trees and rocks below. The front of the Fox was busy pawing four other shinobi back and forth. The large claws were difficult to deflect, so the group had to settle for dodging. Occasionally the Fox would snap at a ninja with his teeth. Behind the Kyuubi was a small band of jounin attempting to hinder the Fox's hind legs. One particular white-haired ninja was focusing a Rasengan in an attempt to injure one of the hind legs. It didn't particularly work, as the Fox's fur was about three feet long.

The Third had also joined the battle. His earth wall technique was the only defense to another handful of ninja clinging onto their lives. Most of the medical ninja were gathered there, to assist the injured.


End file.
